Department for Transport

Road Traffic Offences: Disqualification

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in the last 10 years the Secretary of State for Transport has been asked to decide whether a driver should be disqualified from driving; and in how many of those cases the drivers were disqualified from driving as a result.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) are responsible for convicting and sentencing individuals for road traffic offences. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) role in this process is to maintain and update the driving licence database with endorsement information, including penalty points and disqualifications. The table below shows the number of disqualifications that were ordered by a court and notified to the DVLA in each of the last ten years. This information is held on the driving licence database for either four or 11 years and then removed in line with the law. The figures provided are a snapshot of the driving licence database at the time the information was retrieved and there may be instances where an endorsement that included an order for disqualification will have been removed from the database and is not included in the figure provided. YearDisqualifications201256,693201352,093201448,992201550,543201657,536201758,055201894,5892019133,9952020117,2352021152,1942022 (to 27 May)62,468

Vehicle Number Plates: Fraud

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the instances of number plate cloning.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The law requires that anyone who supplies number plates for road use in the UK must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). It is a legal requirement for suppliers to carry out checks to ensure that number plates are only sold to those who can prove they are entitled to the registration number. Number plate suppliers must also keep records of the plates they have supplied. The DVLA visits number plate suppliers to monitor compliance with the legal requirements and works closely with the police and trading standards to share intelligence and support investigations and prosecutions of suppliers who do not comply. Anyone who suspects that their number plate has been cloned should report this to the police, who are responsible for on road enforcement. Any fines or correspondence received for offences which have not been committed should be returned to the issuing authorities for investigation. Vehicle keepers can also write to the DVLA, who will consider issuing a new registration number for a vehicle if it is believed that a number plate has been cloned.

Transport: Carbon Emissions

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) a progress report, and (2) a detailed assessment, of the progress made in implementing each of the 78 commitments set out in their report Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain, published on 14 July 2021 and updated on 29 July 2021.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department has made significant progress implementing the commitments set out in Decarbonising Transport: A Better, Greener Britain in the year since its publication. As set out in that document, we will regularly review progress against our targets, continue to adapt and take further action if needed to decarbonise transport. We will publish our progress and review our pathway at least every five years.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

UK Endorsement Board

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 20 May (HL127), why the UK Endorsement Board website at 1 June 2022made no reference toMr Ashley’s career of 35 years at KPMG.

Lord Callanan: The profile of Mike Ashley on the UK Endorsement Board website sets out his career with KPMG. A copy of the profile is attached for reference. It is a matter for the UK Endorsement Board to decide what information they include on their website.Mike Ashley - UKEB Website Profile (pdf, 25.0KB)

Mike Ashley and Seema Jamil-O'Neill

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Callanan on 20 May (HL127 and HL128), whether they asked Mike Ashley or Seema Jamil O’Neill for informationwhen preparing their response; and if not, whether they will now do so.

Lord Callanan: The UK Endorsement Board secretariat provides an administrative role with no executive function so staff in the secretariat should not be subject to parliamentary questions about their previous experience. However, I can assure the noble Baroness that all members of the secretariat were recruited through fair and open competition. The Government did not ask Mike Ashley for information in preparing its response to the previous questions. Officials contacted Mr Ashley during preparation of a response to this question and he informed officials that, to the best of his recollection, he was the KPMG audit engagement partner for years ending 31/12/2001 until 31/12/2004 inclusive.

Company Accounts: Standards

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers byLord Callanan on 20 May (HL27) and 27 May (HL402), why the UK Endorsement Board has not interpreted its duties in SI 2019/685 by reference to the Companies Act 2006, given that section 11 of the Interpretation Act 1978 requires "Where an Act confers power to make subordinate legislation, expressions used in that legislation have, unless the contrary intention appears, the meaning which they bear in the Act."

Lord Callanan: SI 2019/685 was made under powers conferred by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and not the Companies Act 2006. Nevertheless, the Government is satisfied that the UK Endorsement Board has interpreted its statutory functions in accordance with the Companies Act and the provision in Section 11 of the Interpretation Act 1978 that is quoted in the question.

Company Accounts

Baroness Bowles of Berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 1 June (HL473), what assessment they made of the duties of auditors set out the decision in Caparo Vs Dickman when providing that answer; and in particular, the part of the judgment which states "It is the auditors' function to ensure, so far as possible, that the financial information as to the company's affairs prepared by the directors accurately reflects the company's position in order, first, to protect the company itself from the consequences of undetected errors or, possibly, wrongdoing (by, for instance, declaring dividends out of capital)."

Lord Callanan: The Government did not make an assessment in providing the Written Answer on 1 June 2022 to Question HL473. The interpretation of court judgements is not a matter for the Government, but for relevant regulators and the courts.

Companies: Fraud

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have to require large corporations to report their anti-fraud procedures.

Lord Callanan: Last month, the Government published its response to consultation on Restoring Trust in Audit and Corporate Governance. As part of this balanced, targeted, and proportionate package of reforms, we intend to require directors of large companies to produce a fraud statement as part of their annual report. Directors will be expected to set out the steps taken to prevent and detect material fraud; and their assessment of the risk of material fraud in the entity, highlighting the areas of the business most susceptible to material fraud.

Department of Health and Social Care

Anxiety: Drugs

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany children in England were prescribed anti-anxiety medicine in each of the previous five years.

Lord Kamall: The following table shows the number of unique patients under the age of 18 years old prescribed anti-anxiety medication on a National Health Service prescription in England and dispensed in the community in each of the last five years, including the most recent data available. 2017/1877,6962018/1985,5472019/2096,7562020/21106,5582021/22122,181  Notes: 1. The list of anti-anxiety medicine identified is based on British National Formulary (BNF) chapter 04 - section 01 hypnotics and anxiolytics using the classification system prior to BNF edition 70.2. It should be noted that some of these drugs have multiple indications associated with different dosing regimens and it will be for the clinician to decide what is relevant for their patient. In addition, there may be medicines not listed in this section of BNF which clinicians may prescribe for their patient to alleviate anxiety.

Anxiety: Drugs

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government howmany children in England are currently prescribed anti-anxiety medication.

Lord Kamall: The following table shows the number of unique patients under the age of 18 years old prescribed anti-anxiety medication on a National Health Service prescription in England and dispensed in the community in each of the last five years, including the most recent data available. 2017/1877,6962018/1985,5472019/2096,7562020/21106,5582021/22122,181 Notes: 1. The list of anti-anxiety medicine identified is based on British National Formulary (BNF) chapter 04 - section 01 hypnotics and anxiolytics using the classification system prior to BNF edition 70.2. It should be noted that some of these drugs have multiple indications associated with different dosing regimens and it will be for the clinician to decide what is relevant for their patient. In addition, there may be medicines not listed in this section of BNF which clinicians may prescribe for their patient to alleviate anxiety.

Health Professions: Vacancies

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further tothe report by the Royal College of NursingNursing Under UnsustainablePressures: Staffing for Safe and Effective Care in the UK, published on 6 June, what steps they will take in response to that report's call for the Government to publish an "independently verifiable assessment of health and care workforce requirements to meet the needs of the population and address health inequalities.”

Lord Kamall: The Department commissioned Health Education England to review the long-term framework for the health and regulated social care workforce, to ensure that the right skills, values and behaviours are available to deliver high quality care. This review is nearing completion and further information will be available in due course. In addition, the Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long term workforce plan and its conclusions will also be available in due course.

Ambulance Services: Gloucestershire

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve ambulance response times in Gloucestershire.

Lord Kamall: South West Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a remote clinical triage team, direct referral of patients to Same Day Emergency Care Departments, as well as deploying Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers to improve the flow of patients and reduce handover delays. This will allow ambulance crews to respond to incoming calls more quickly and improve response times. The Trust is also recruiting additional Community First Responders to improve response times in rural areas in Gloucestershire.

Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they hold on the patients who are eligible to receive emergency COVID treatments; and if they do not hold any, howthey plan to ensure this is collated so patients know in advance of their eligibility and can be told which COVID Medicines Delivery Unit they will be dealing with.

Lord Kamall: In England, approximately 1.8 million individuals are potentially eligible under the clinical access policy for new treatments to reduce the risk of deterioration or hospitalisation from COVID-19 infection. NHS Digital has identified patients classed as eligible through a coding match against patient records.Eligible patients have been notified by email or by letter and advised that if they register a positive COVID-19 test, they will be contacted by the local COVID Medicine Delivery Unit (CMDU) to triage and assess for treatment suitability. If patients are not contacted within 24 hours or are not digitally identifiable by NHS Digital, they should seek advice from their general practitioner or NHS 111 for a referral to a CMDU.

Evusheld

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whetheraccess to Evusheld will form part of their commitment to providing early access to (1) life-saving, and (2) cutting-edge, medicines through the Innovative Medicines Fund.

Lord Kamall: The Innovative Medicines Fund will support patient access to the most promising new medicines while further evidence is collected on use to address clinical uncertainty. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considers any non-cancer medicine referred to its technology appraisal or highly specialised technologies programmes for managed access via the Innovative Medicines Fund.However, as Evusheld for the prophylaxis of COVID-19 has not been referred to NICE for evaluation, it is not currently being considered for funding through the Innovative Medicines Fund. We have asked clinicians to advise on the most appropriate option for the National Health Service in line with the available data, the public health situation and other treatments available.

Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have (1) to review the treatment options for immune-compromised individuals, and (2) to deploy Bebtelovimab as a treatment for such patients.

Lord Kamall: The Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce works with the RAPID C-19 Collaborative to review data from clinical trials for COVID-19 treatments. Bebtelovimab and other monoclonal antibodies are reviewed as part of this process. However, as Bebtelovimab has not received regulatory approval in the United Kingdom, it is not currently being procured for National Health Service patients. Licensing decisions are made by the independent regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to introduce the Innovative Medicines Fund.

Lord Kamall: The Innovative Medicines Fund for non-cancer medicines recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for managed access was launched in June 2022.The Fund will support early access to the most promising new medicines for National Health Service patients while further evidence is collected to address clinical uncertainty.

Molnupiravir and Sotrovimab

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of whether their strategy to protect immuno-compromised individuals is over reliant on (1) second line treatments using Sotrovimab, and (2) fourth line treatments using Molnupiravir.

Lord Kamall: Recent evidence suggests that antivirals and neutralising monoclonal antibodies significantly improve clinical outcomes in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk of progression to severe disease. Available treatment options for eligible patients are the first line of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir or sotrovimab as clinically indicated; the second line of remdesivir; and the third line, molnupiravir.These treatments have various safety profiles for patients with a range of characteristics, which ensures safe access. All patients are clinically assessed to ensure they receive the most appropriate treatment according to their health conditions. Therefore, there is no over reliance on one specific treatment path. The Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is working with the RAPID C-19 Collaborative to review further COVID-19 treatments.

Alcoholic Drinks: Labelling

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken toschedule a date for the launch of the alcohol calorie labelling consultation.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure consumer health awareness on alcohol product labels by way of (1) the Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines, and (2) other health-promoting means, such as (a) ingredient, and (b) calorie, listing.

Lord Kamall: We have announced the intention to consult on whether to introduce mandatory calorie labelling on prepacked alcohol and alcohol sold in on-trade businesses such as pubs and restaurants. The consultation will also seek views on whether the provision of the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines should be mandatory or continue on a voluntary basis. Respondents may also suggest additional labelling requirements for consideration, such as ingredient listing. The consultation will launch in due course. The Department continues to promote the low risk drinking guidelines through public health messaging, including the ‘Better Health’ campaign and the Drink Free Days app.

Food: Regulation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they will take to decrease the levels of (1) salt, and (2) sugar, in food in England.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the devolved administrations regarding the proposed reduction of (1) salt, and (2) sugar, in food in England.

Lord Kamall: The voluntary reduction and reformulation programmes challenge all sectors of the food and drinks industry, including retailers, manufacturers and eating out of home sector such as cafes, takeaways and delivery firms, to reduce the amount of sugar and salt in foods and drinks. The sugar reduction programme aimed to reduce the amount of sugar in foods which contribute the most to children’s  intake by 20% by 2020. While there has been mixed progress in decreasing the sugar content of foods, retailers and manufacturers demonstrated greater achievements in sugar reduction in unsweetened juice and sweetened milk based drinks. Monitoring the sugar content of drinks in scope of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy shown that substantial reductions have been achieved. The fourth progress report on sugar reduction is expected in 2022. An assessment of salt reduction targets to be achieved by 2024 is expected in 2022. Officials maintain regular contact with the devolved administrations on the salt and sugar reduction programmes.

Department for Education

Children: Social Services

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toimprove outcomes for young people receiving social care; and how their plans fit within the levelling up agenda.

Baroness Barran: Local authorities have access to £54.1 billion core spending power this financial year to deliver their services, including for children and young people. This is £3.7 billion more than in 2021/22 and includes a £2.35 billion social care grant.The department is also investing an additional £200 million in funding for the Supporting Families programme by 2024/25, taking planned investment across the next three years to £695 million.In June 2021 the department extended the duties of Virtual School Heads to include all children with a social worker, backed by £16.6 million of new funding, which will continue in the 2022/23 financial year. This delivers a key recommendation of the Children in Need Review and now means there is a local champion for Children in Need in every local authority across England. Since May 2020 we have also made £26.6 million available to help boost the educational outcomes of children with a social worker and keep them safe from harm, including up to £20.3 million to place social workers in schools in 21 local authorities to support teachers to spot signs of abuse and neglect more quickly.

Pre-school Education

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto offer early learning and childcare spaces for children under the age of six.

Baroness Barran: The department does not directly offer childcare places, but it does support the take up of places, and each local authority has a duty to ensure that there are sufficient childcare places for all parents that need them.The department has invested more than £3.5 billion in each of the last three years to deliver early education entitlements. All three and four-year-old children can access 15 hours of free childcare a week. We have doubled this for three and four-year-olds in families with working parents, saving them over £6,000 a year. The 15 hours of free childcare is also available for two-year-olds from lower-income families. The department recently announced that it is investing additional funding for these entitlements worth £160 million in 2022/23, £180 million in 2023/24 and £170 million in the 2024/25 financial years, compared to the 2021/22 financial year.Outside of school hours, children aged five and above can access wraparound childcare, holiday childcare and other out-of-school settings that provide childcare. The department’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme supported more than 600,000 children last summer with free holiday club places. We are making more than £600 million available to local authorities in England over the next three years for the HAF programme, so that we can continue to provide disadvantaged children and families with access to clubs that provide healthy food and enriching activities during the longer school holidays.

National Implementation Board

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government how the membership of the Care Review National Implementation Board will be decided.

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Care Review National Implementation Board will be established.

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the funding recommendations in The independent review of children’s social care: final report, published on 23 May; and what plans they have to invest in the care system in response to the report.

Baroness Blower: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to implement the recommendations in The independent review of children’s social care: final report, published on 23 May.

Baroness Barran: The department is now considering the recommendations of the Independent Review of Children’s Social care carefully with those with care experience and all interested stakeholders. We will publish an implementation strategy later this year, which will set out how the department will improve children’s social care. This will include establishing a National Implementation Board that includes people with their own experience of the care system.In the meantime, the department is taking action, which includes:Support for families with a multi-million-pound package to improve access to support, advice, and services from birth through to adulthood. This includes a total of £695 million for Supporting Families over the next three years. As such, up to 300,000 of the most vulnerable families can be helped before they hit crisis point.Getting the right placements in the right places for children in care by investing £259 million to support provision and create additional places in children’s homes. This is the biggest package of investment in children’s social care placements since 2010. The department has also invested £142 million to introduce new national standards, Ofsted registration, and inspection for supported accommodation for young people. This provision that is currently unregulated.As the department develops its implementation strategy, it will consider where legislation might be required.

Ministry of Justice

Family Division and Judicial College

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many timesministers have met (1) the President of the Family Division, and (2) the chair of the Judicial College, since 21 April 2021; and on how many of these occasions judicial training on domestic abuse has been discussed.

Lord Bellamy: To preserve the independence of the judiciary, the Lord Chief Justice (LCJ), the Senior President of Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for judicial training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. These responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College. The judiciary and professional staff in the Judicial College are responsible for the design, content, and delivery of judicial training.Since April 2021, ministers have met with the senior judiciary regularly to discuss a range of issues related to the administration of the justice system and the courts and tribunals.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Myanmar: Capital Punishment

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by Myanmar’s courts to impose the death penalty on (1) Phyo Zeya Thaw, and (2) Ko Jimmy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is deeply concerned by reports that the military have sentenced pro-democracy activists and leaders, including Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy, to death. Both Minister Milling, and the British Embassy in Yangon, have made it clear that the UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. On 8 December 2021 we secured a UN Security Council Resolution which called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained. We once again call on the military regime to respect human rights and the rule of law, and will continue to use all available fora to raise our concerns.

Myanmar: Human Rights

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the human rights situation in Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Myanmar is a Human Rights Priority Country for the UK.The February 2021 coup has exacerbated the already grave human rights situation. Security forces continued to commit atrocities throughout the country, with credible reports of torture, burning of villages, rape and sexual violence and mass killings. As of June 2022, over 690,000 people have been displaced by military operations, and 14.4 million people are now in humanitarian need. Over 10,000 people remain in arbitrary detention, and we are deeply concerned about reports that the military have sentenced pro-democracy activists and leaders to death. Identity and gender-based violence continue to be a huge problem across Myanmar. Freedom of expression and religious belief continue to be supressed.We have raised these issues at the UN Security Council, UN Human Rights Council and G7. The UK has also provided £500,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, which collects and preserves evidence of human rights violations for future prosecution.

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they aretaking to support calls for Ukraine to be listed as ‘a situation of concern’ in the UN Secretary General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK strongly recommends that the UN Secretary-General includes Ukraine as a 'situation of concern' in his upcoming annual report on children and armed conflict (CAAC) next month. This would enable greater scrutiny of grave violations against children in the region, ensuring that all credible allegations of crimes in the territory of Ukraine are investigated.The UK is an active member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) CAAC Working Group where we have been working closely with the United States to push the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC) for regular reporting during meetings on the situation of children in Ukraine.The UK will continue these efforts to bring the situation to the attention of the Working Group and the wider UNSC, and to support all efforts to improve our collective understanding of the situation on the ground, through evidence and data collection.

Ukraine: Exports

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimatethey have made of the number of lives threatened as a result of President Putin’s decision to cut off grain exports from Ukraine; and what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Executive Director of the United Nations Food Programme that “the war is going to jeopardise the food security of roughly 276 million people”.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Global humanitarian need and acute food insecurity is at unprecedented levels, driven by covid-19 and climate change, and exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 94 countries are already in crisis or emergency conditions and 49 million people are living a step away from famine. The impact of the invasion is being felt around the world but most acutely in countries already facing dangerous levels of food insecurity. Many have already reported alarming increases in the price of staple commodities since the start of the war. The WFP found the price of a food basket in Ethiopia has risen 66 percent, and in Somalia 36 percent. The UK is working with Ukraine and international partners to find ways, whether by sea or overland, to re-start the export of grain from Ukraine to the countries that desperately need it.

Ukraine: War Crimes

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theAtrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine includes dedicated expertise in the investigation of (1) crimes of sexual violence in conflict, and (2) crimes against children.

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to supportembedding (1) conflict-related sexual violence expertise, and (2) child-specific expertise, in all international mechanisms currently investigating violations of international humanitarian law and human rights in Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK condemns all conflict related sexual violence (CRSV) and crimes committed against children (CAH) in Ukraine. We are working with international partners to strengthen Ukraine's domestic investigations into war crimes, including through deployments of specialist UK expertise such as the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative Team of Experts. The first Mobile Justice Team (MJT) under the ACA initiative is being set up on the ground. We expect tackling conflict-related sexual violence and crimes against children to be a key feature of the ACA's work to support Ukrainian authorities. As such, we are planning specific capacity and technical expertise to support increased understanding, identification, investigation, and prosecution of CRSV and crimes against children. We are also taking steps to ensure the Murad Code, a UK-funded tool on best practice approaches for CRSV investigations is widely adopted.

Pakistan: Human Rights

The Lord Bishop of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the National Commission for Human Rights PakistanUnequal citizens: ending systematic discrimination against minorities, published on 23 May; and what plans they have to use UK Aid to increase employment amongyoung Christians in Pakistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The National Commission on Human Rights' report highlights the challenges faced by Pakistani minorities in accessing government roles and the poor conditions they often face as low-paid sanitation workers. The UK regularly raises concerns regarding the protection of minorities at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. Our programme funding seeks to address the underlying causes. The Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development, a UK Government-funded multi-country programme, has implemented a project in Pakistan to protect minorities who work as sewage and sanitation workers. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, particularly the most vulnerable.

Pakistan: Arms Trade

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office,Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the issue of Pakistan selling arms to the Myanmar military during his phone call with Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, on 1 June.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. We are clear that countries should not sell arms to the Myanmar military. On 27 March, the UK coordinated a joint statement with 48 signatories that committed us to working to prevent the flow of arms and equipment to the Myanmar military. We have also worked with partners to secure strong language on stopping the flow of arms at the G7, UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council. Earlier this year, British High Commission Islamabad officials raised Pakistan's sale of arms to the Myanmar military with the Pakistani authorities.

Myanmar: Internally Displaced People

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Myanmar Humanitarian Update published by the UNOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on 31 May, which finds that more than one million people have been displaced in Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)'s latest report and agrees with the assessment of the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. The UK is prioritising meeting the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable communities across Myanmar. Since the coup the UK has provided £24 million in humanitarian assistance in the border regions. Humanitarian access is, however, extremely challenging which has left many hundreds of thousands unassisted in hard to reach and remote areas.The UK works closely with OCHA and have provided £4.6 million since the coup to the OCHA-managed Myanmar Humanitarian Fund to address displacement across the country. The UK continues to call for the military to end the violence and ensure full and unhindered access to those in need.

Royal Windsor Horse Show

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role, if any, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has with respect to providing advice, support or information regarding the attendance of foreign dignitaries to the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not provided advice, support or information regarding the attendance of foreign dignitaries to this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show. Invitations to this annual event are issued by the Royal Household, organised by HPower Group, and attendees join in a private capacity.

Colombia: Politics and Government

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take within the UN Security Council to encourage the government of Colombia to reactivate the National Commission for Security Guarantees.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK consistently calls on the Colombian Government to make full use of the National Commission for Security Guarantees, as we did in recent UN Security Council meetings on Colombia. Successive UK-drafted UN Security Council press statements have called for the National Commission on Security Guarantees, working with civil society, to adopt and implement a public policy to dismantle illegal armed groups.To date, we have spent over £69 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia and improve stability and security. We will continue to work with Colombia, including through the UNSC, and encourage the Colombian Government to strengthen the institutions that can improve the security of citizens and investigate and prosecute the criminal actors responsible for violence.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to cut the flow of (1) funds, and (2) arms, to the government of Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since the coup, we have worked quickly with partners to impose targeted sanctions against those who fund and arm the military, including military-linked businesses and procurement bodies in the Ministry of Defence. Most recently, on 16 June 2022, we announced our eleventh round of designations, targeting Russian and Myanmar arms dealers. We have also suspended trade promotion, strengthened advice to businesses and undertaken a rigorous review of our aid programme to ensure that no funds go to the military regime. We continue to encourage other countries to take similar measures.The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. We are clear that countries should not sell arms to the Myanmar military. On 27 March, the UK coordinated a joint statement with 48 signatories that committed us to working to prevent the flow of arms and equipment to the Myanmar military. We have also worked with partners to secure strong language on stopping the flow of arms at the G7, UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council.

Myanmar: Capital Punishment

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to urge the government of Myanmar to reverse the death sentences for Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned by reports that the military regime has sentenced pro-democracy activists, including Phyo Zeya Thaw and Ko Jimmy, to death. Both Minister Milling, and the British Embassy in Yangon, have made it clear that the UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. We once again call on the military regime to respect human rights and the rule of law. We continue to use all available fora, including the UN Security Council (UNSC), to raise these concerns. On 8 December 2021, the UK secured a UNSC Press Statement condemning the sentencing of prisoners and calling for the release of all those in arbitrary detention.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with the exiled National Unity Government of Myanmar; and what plans they have to recognise it as the legitimate representative of the people of Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have strong links with the National Unity Government (NUG). Minister Milling met with Dr Zaw Wai Soe, the NUG's Minister for Health and Education on 24th May. Dr Zaw Wai Soe also met with other Ministers, Parliamentarians and Officials during his trip to the UK. During the meeting, Minister Milling emphasised the UK's condemnation of the coup and highlighted our ongoing efforts to respond to the crisis. Minister Milling also spoke to Daw Zin Mar Aung, the NUG's Foreign Minister on 7 March. The NUG is an important voice for many people in Myanmar and we strongly support all those calling for a return to democracy.The UK has a longstanding policy and practice, held by successive British Governments, of according recognition to States not Governments.

Bahrain: Royal Visits

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role, if any, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had in facilitating the attendance of Bahrain's royal family at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not provided advice regarding the attendance of members of Bahrain's royal family at this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show. Invitations to this annual event are issued by the Royal Household, organised by HPower Group, and attendees join in a private capacity.

Iraq: Chemical Weapons

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of chemical attacks in Northern Iraq; and what plans they have to ask the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate those attacks.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The United Kingdom opposes any use of chemical weapons. We are aware of claims that Turkey has used white phosphorus (WP) in northern Iraq. WP is not a chemical weapon. Any state using WP must comply with International Humanitarian Law and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Fisheries: Fuels

Lord Teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to assist the under 10 metre fishing sector in meeting its increased fuel costs.

Lord Benyon: Defra will continue to support the fishing sector through the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, which as one of its main objectives seeks to increase the sustainability of the sector, including through investing in the transition to renewable energy.Defra is also making £32.7 million in annual funding available across all four nations of the UK, which last year enabled grant schemes to be opened in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, benefiting hundreds of UK businesses. The grant scheme for England, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, delivers investment to safeguard the long-term sustainability, resilience and prosperity of the seafood sector. This includes a wide range of support aimed at fishing vessels, with enhanced funding rates of up to 80% made available to members of the small-scale coastal fleet.In recognition of the challenges in the maritime sector, including the fishing industry, in the 2022 Spring Budget the Chancellor overturned the 2020 announcement to remove the red diesel entitlement for commercial boat operators, meaning the industry can continue to use red diesel, in addition to the Marine Voyages Relief, which gives 100% relief on fuel duty costs.The increasing cost of fuel is affecting a wide range of sectors including the fishing industry and vessels of all sizes are being affected. Our primary focus is on analysing how the UK fleet is being affected by fuel and fish prices. Defra Ministers and officials are working with colleagues across government, along with a wide range of stakeholders, and are closely monitoring the situation.The Government has shown long term commitment to the sector and will continue to do so in the future. As part of this long term commitment we are not planning to repurpose funds to mitigate the impacts of high fuel prices. We consider this is a cross cutting issue, and so are liaising with colleagues across government to determine the longer-term impacts and any mitigating actions.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Oxford-Cambridge Arc: Housing

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many homes they plan to construct in the Oxford–Cambridge Arc (Ox–Cam Arc); in what years they will be built; and how many will be built each year.

Lord Greenhalgh: In October 2021, Government completed a 12-week public consultation gathering views to shape a vision for the OxCam Arc Spatial Framework. We continue to work through next steps, in alignment with the priorities set out in the Levelling Up White Paper and will provide more information in due course.

Oxford-Cambridge Arc

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with local authorities concerning the Oxford–Cambridge Arc (Ox–Cam Arc); and what matters each discussion covered.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Department engages regularly with local authorities across the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. These discussions cover a breadth of issues, including local growth, devolution, regeneration, infrastructure, housing and levelling up.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Procurement

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the (1) numbers, and (2) total values, of public contracts entered into by public authorities with an estimated value of (a) more than £2 million that is not a light-touch contract, (b) more than £2 million that is a light-touch contract, and (c) less than £2 million.

Lord True: The Cabinet Office does not hold this information.Details of Government contracts above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, are published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

Public Sector: Procurement

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with public contracts entered into by (1) government departments, their executive agencies, and non-departmental public bodies, and (2) other public authorities covered by public procurement regulations.

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the (1) numbers, and (2) total values, of public contracts entered into by government departments, their executive agencies, and non-departmental public bodies with an anticipated contract value above £5 million (excluding VAT) per annum, that are (a) subject to Procurement Policy Note 06/21, and (b) not subject to Procurement Policy Note 06/21.

Lord True: The Cabinet Office does not hold the reporting or recording of contract level greenhouse gas emissions for the public sector. Individual departmental emissions (including contributions made by public contracts) are recorded via the Greening Government commitments (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/greening-government-commitments). By the end of May 2021, 50 commercial agreements above the threshold of £5m per annum had applied Procurement Policy Notice 06/21, with a total value of £82 billion over the life of those agreements.

Public Sector: Procurement

Baroness Worthington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the numbers and total values of public contracts covered by (1) the National Health Service (Procurement, Patient Choice and Competition) (No. 2) Regulations 2013, (2) the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, (3) the Utilities Contracts Regulations 2016, (4) the Concession Contracts Regulations 2016, and (5) the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations 2011.

Lord True: The Cabinet Office does not hold the data in the manner requested. However, information on the value of contracts anticipated to be covered by the Procurement Bill and the NHS Provider Selection Regime is set out in the Impact Assessment published alongside the Procurement Bill (https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3159/publications)Details of Government contracts above £10,000, and £25,000 in the wider public sector, should be published on Contracts Finder (https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder).

Ministers: Codes of Practice

Lord Lisvane: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the introduction to the latest edition of the Ministerial Code, they will amend the Prime Minister's reference to "my Ministers" to "Her Majesty's Ministers".

Lord True: It is customary for the foreword of the Ministerial Code to be refreshed when the Code is re-issued from time to time. The current Ministerial Code was issued only recently on 27 May 2022. As such, there are no plans for a further update.The code begins in section one with an appropriate reference to Ministers of the Crown and continues in that style.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Royal Visits: Bahrain

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice, if any, they have provided to the Royal Household regarding the attendance of members of Bahrain's royal family at this year's Royal Windsor Horse Show; and if so, what Government departments were involved in providing the advice.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Her Majesty's Government has not provided any such advice. Invitations to this annual event are issued by the Royal Household, and attendees join in a private capacity.The UK and Bahrain have a close and long-standing relationship. No aspect of our relationship with Bahrain prevents us from speaking frankly about important issues. Long-standing connections and frank engagement underpin our bilateral relationship.

BBC: Internet

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of whether the BBC’s use of licence fee revenue to produce online news services, which compete with commercial publishers,is compatible with (1) the BBC Charter, and (2) legal constraints on the use of public funds.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Under the Royal Charter, the BBC has an obligation to provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them. The Charter requires the BBC public services to promote its Mission and Public Purposes, including the provision of news in the UK through “online services”; it therefore allows for the use of licence fee revenue for online news services. In doing so, the BBC is required to have particular regard to the effects of its activities on competition in the UK and to seek to avoid adverse impacts on competition which are not necessary for the effective fulfilment of the Mission and the promotion of the Public Purposes.Her Majesty’s Government carefully considered the BBC's market impact as part of Charter Review in 2015/16, and designated Ofcom as the BBC regulator to ensure the BBC is robustly held to account on its competitive impact.The Government also committed the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism. This was published in 2019, and urged the BBC to think more carefully about how its news provision can act as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, commercial news.The Charter Mid-Term Review will look at the BBC’s market impact, evaluating how the BBC and Ofcom assess the market impact and public value of the BBC in an evolving marketplace and how that relates to the wider UK media ecology, including with regard to commercial radio and local news sectors and other content makers and distributors.

Cultural Heritage: Nigeria

Lord Mann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to return to Nigeria historic artefacts from the Kingdom of Benin which are housed in public institutions and museums in the UK.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Museums and galleries in the UK operate independently of Her Majesty’s Government. Decisions relating to their collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum.Some national museums are prevented by law from disposing of objects in their collections unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. The two exceptions to this are when the objects are human remains that are less than 1,000 years old, and objects that were spoliated during the Nazi era. Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to change this law.

BBC Board: Vacancies

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long there has been a vacancy on the BBC Board for a member from Northern Ireland; and when they expect this vacancy to be filled.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: This role has been vacant since the Board was formed in 2017. It was not possible to make an appointment to the board at that time due to the dissolution of the Northern Ireland Executive. A process to appoint a Northern Ireland Member was run in 2021, but Ministers decided to restart the process due to an insufficiently diverse and broad longlist.The executive search company Odgers Berndtson was hired to support a new campaign, which is currently underway and closed to applications on 6 June 2022. An appointment will be made in due course, in line with the Code of Governance for Public Appointments and the BBC Royal Charter.

Betting: Politicians

Lord Lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what risk assessment they carried out before parliamentarians were classified as politically exposed persons for the purpose of holding a betting account.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require firms in regulated sectors, including those regulated by the Gambling Commission, to obtain and verify certain information about their customers. Firms must have in place appropriate risk management systems and procedures to determine whether a customer is a Politically Exposed Person (PEP), or a family member or known close associate of a PEP. This is in line with the international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.Original measures on PEPs were put into UK law via the transposition of the European Union’s fourth money laundering directive in June 2017, as was the legal requirement at the time. There was therefore no risk assessment undertaken specifically by the UK but the impact assessment from this process can be found here. The Financial Action Task Force is the international standard-setter in anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing, and its guidance on PEPs can be found here.HM Treasury is currently undertaking a review of the 2017 Regulations. As part of this review, the proportionality of current requirements regarding domestic PEPs is being considered and balanced alongside the risks posed to the UK’s financial system, and our international obligations to mitigate these risks. The Review will be published this summer.

Women and Equalities

Recruitment

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prohibit employers asking job applicants for their salary history.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: There is growing evidence to show that, when pay is negotiable, asking applicants to disclose previous earnings and not including salary information in the advert increases the risk that historic disparities will be replicated.On International Women’s Day this year, we called on all employers to provide salary information in all of their job adverts, and to stop asking about previous salary during recruitment.We recognise that some employers may find it challenging to take these steps, due to historic pay decisions and lack of clarity in pay processes. That is why we also announced that we will work with employers to develop and pilot a methodology to support them to adopt these measures.